


Matcha

by Lo_and_behold



Category: VIXX
Genre: College AU, Ken | Lee Jaehwan centric, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tags Are Hard, barista!jaehwan, coffee shop AU, hakyeon goes to a different school from the rest of vixx, hakyeon is deaf, hakyeon's solo danced destiny and last fantasia, italics are signing, jaehwan and sanghyuk work at the coffee shop, jiyoon of 4minute is here too, lil sweetie, moody hongbin, sohyun is hakyeons roommate, sorry - Freeform, super surprise ending!!!, ta taekwoon, wonshik and jaehwan are friends, wonshik hits on hongbin, wonshik is dumb but funny, wonshik is won-thicc lol!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-03
Updated: 2019-01-13
Packaged: 2019-07-06 11:27:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15885117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lo_and_behold/pseuds/Lo_and_behold
Summary: The man smiled as Sanghyuk called out an order. “Thank you. My name is Hakyeon.”The noise of the machines behind him disappeared as the customer spelled out his name. If he was being honest, the man before him was breathtaking. Sunlight streamed in behind him and gave him a halo of bright light, almost blinding Jaehwan. He blinked, frozen in the moment. The noises around him came rushing back, reality sinking in. He couldn’t stay locked in that moment with the beautiful Hakyeon. He put on his best customer service smile and nodded at Hakyeon before beginning again with the next customer.“WonSHIK I saw the biggest babe today” delivered 12:02 p.m.--or--Jaehwan brushes off his sign language skills when he meets Hakyeon, a deaf dancer.





	1. The Beautiful Hakyeon

**Author's Note:**

> This is gonna be a mess Y'all. Bear with me.

“Hello, ma’am. How may I help you?” Jaehwan began his spiel. 

“Uhm, hi. I’d like a caramel macchiato with one half pump of hazel, a shot of extra caffeine, and whipped cream please.” The woman in front of him responded while idly scrolling through social media. 

“Coming right up! Can I get a name please?” Jaehwan smiled, teeth showing slightly. He scribbled as she said her name and passed the note to his coworker, Sanghyuk. He accepted it and nodded, preparing a separate order. The woman stepped aside, sliding into one of the cafe’s booths, never once looking up from her phone. 

A young man with a notepad in his hand stepped up. A pencil was crammed in the wiring that bound the small pages together.

“Hello, sir. How may I help you?” Jaehwan began again.

The customer held up the notebook. “Hi! I would like an iced mocha, please” it read.

“Are you mute?” Jaehwan asked, genuinely curious. The man blinked once before pointing to his ear with his free hand.

Realizing he was deaf, Jaehwan tried a different strategy. 

_ I’ll have it out to you in a minute _ , signed Jaehwan. 

The man blinked before blushing deeply.  _ You can sign? _

Jaehwan smiled before moving his hands.  _ I learned in high school. I’m not the best, though. _

The man smiled as Sanghyuk called out an order.  _ Thank you. My name is Hakyeon. _

The noise of the machines behind him disappeared as the customer spelled out his name. If he was being honest, the man before him was breathtaking. Sunlight streamed in behind him and gave him a halo of bright light, almost blinding Jaehwan. He blinked, frozen in the moment. The noises around him came rushing back, reality sinking in. He couldn’t stay locked in this moment with the beautiful Hakyeon. He put on his best customer service smile and nodded at Hakyeon before beginning again with the next customer. 

 

“WonSHIK I saw the biggest babe today”  _ delivered 12:02 p.m. _

 

An hour later, Jaehwan was taking his fifteen-minute break. He still wore his apron, as he saw no point in taking it off and only having to put it back on a few minutes later. He was texting his best friend, Wonshik. While Jaehwan worked at the local cafe between classes, Wonshik made music. Rap, specifically. 

**New message: Won-thicc**

“was he cute”  _ delivered 12:02 p.m. _

 

“No, Wonshik thats why i called him a babe”  _ delivered 12:03 p.m. _

 

**New message: Won-thicc**

“maybe his name was babe or smthn”  _ delivered 12:03 p.m. _

 

Jaehwan rolled his eyes. Wonshik wasn’t always the brightest, but he was a genius when it came to music. He could compose a song in a day and it would still sound great. Jaehwan, however, had no such talent. While Wonshik majored in music and creation, he majored in psychology. 

“He’s deaf and adorable”  _ delivered 12:05 p.m. _

 

**New message: Won-thicc**

“get him tiger”  _ delivered 12:08 p.m. _

“wait how did u talk to him”  _ delivered 12:09 p.m. _

 

“I know sign language wonshik”  _ delivered 12:10 p.m. _

 

**New message: Won-thicc**

“woah”  _ delivered 12:12 p.m. _

 

12:12. Jaehwan always makes a wish at that time. “I wish to see Hakyeon tomorrow,” he whispered. Sanghyuk cast a glance at him, confused as to why he was whispering. He shrugged and walked off.

 

“Gotta go, break’s over.”  _ delivered 12:14 p.m. _

 

Jaehwan tucked his phone in his pocket and walked to the front of the cafe. Putting on his brightest smile, he started the rest of his day. 

“Hello sir, how may I help you today?” 

 

During Jaehwan’s classes later that day, he couldn’t focus. He kept thinking about Hakyeon, as cliche as it was. He didn’t believe in love at first sight, but attraction wasn’t out of the question. 

His hair was dark black and fell in bangs around his eyes. They crinkled when he smiled at Jaehwan, and his eyebrows hid in the hair that hung down. When Jaehwan signed, his blush rose high on his cheekbones, barely visible. Something deep inside Jaehwan felt accomplished. 

“Jae,” Wonshik whispered beside him. “Jaehwan!” He hissed when he didn’t respond.

“What?” Jaehwan asked through his teeth, annoyed slightly.

“Taekwoon asked you a question.”

Taekwoon, their TA, stood, arms crossed in front of the pair. 

“Could you, uh, repeat the question?” Jaehwan grinned sheepishly. 

“Jaehwan, pay attention.” Taekwoon sighed and walked back to his chair next to professor Ahn’s desk. 

Jaehwan saluted dumbly, rousing a giggle out of Wonshik. 


	2. Emily Dicks-In

The next morning, Jaehwan slipped his apron over his head as he walked to the counter. “Sanghyuk!” He called. “Get in here!”

Sanghyuk grumbled from the break room, donning the apron with the cafe’s logo on the front. “This apron is stupid.” 

“A few more years, Hyukkie,” Jaehwan commented, “then we can graduate and get a real job!”

Sanghyuk groaned. “You’re too optimistic too early in the morning.” 

Jaehwan simply smiled. “It’s what I do best.” He strutted to the front of the store, in a strangely good mood. He flipped the sign from closed to open and placed his hands on his hips. “Another day,” he breathed with a smile playing at his lips. Sanghyuk shook his head. 

 

The day was slow, leaving Jaehwan time to think about Hakyeon. The image of him was already fading. 

He shook his head as the bell at the front of the store rung. A young man entered, walking briskly to the counter. “Hello.”

“Good morning sir! How may I-” Jaehwan began but was interrupted by the customer. 

“Yeah, I’d like a cheesecake frappe.” The man glanced at his watch and tapped his foot impatiently. 

Jaehwan’s smile faltered, but he regained his composure. “Coming right up, sir!” Jaehwan wrote down what the man ordered. “Can I get a name?”

He sighed. “Hongbin.”

Jaehwan wrote that down too and took his page back to the machines behind him as Hongbin huffed and sat down by the door. Jaehwan hummed to himself as he flipped a switch, turning a machine on. He turned as he waited for the fresh coffee to brew. 

The bell to the store rang and a familiar figure stepped in. 

“Jaehwan!” 

Jaehwan narrowed his eyes. “What do you want, Wonshik?” He deadpanned. 

“I need help studying. I have an English test in like half an hour and I don’t know who Emily Dicks-in is!” 

“Dickinson, Wonshik,” Jaehwan corrected him.

Wonshik snorted. “Yeah, but Dicks-in is funnier.”

Jaehwan rolled his eyes and smiled. Wonshik may be the dumbest sack of potatoes, but he sure was funny. “Let me finish preparing Mr. Impatient’s drink, and then we can study.”

Wonshik nodded and glanced at the only customer in the store, who glared daggers at Jaehwan. 

“He’s kinda cute. I should talk to him.” Wonshik lowered his voice and smiled in the direction of the stranger.

“Yeah, he looks sort of familiar. Maybe I’ve seen him around campus or-” Jaehwan paused as Wonshik wandered off, “- and you’re walking away. Thanks, Wonshik.” 

Wonshik slid into the booth across from Hongbin. Jaehwan shook his head and pulled the cup out of the machine. Snapping a lid on, he searched for his marker. It rested on the counter by the cash register. Jaehwan grabbed it and carefully wrote the name on the side of the cup. He walked the drink over to where the customer sat, looking thoroughly annoyed with his unrequested company. 

“Here you are, sir.” Jaehwan smiled and handed over the beverage. “We can study now, Wonshik.” 

Wonshik pouted. “Okay…” He stood up, but not before winking at Hongbin, who scoffed. 

“I think we totally hit it off,” Wonshik murmured as the pair walked off.

“Yeah, totally.” Jaehwan nodded.

Wonshik continued to blabber about his “dream man”, but Jaehwan tuned him out. 

Behind them, the bell chimed.

_ Saved by the bell, _ thought Jaehwan. “Uh oh, sorry Wonshik. Duty calls.” Jaehwan pushed him to the side and speed walked to the counter. Wonshik crossed his arms and muttered to the side.

As Jaehwan turned to face the customer, he was greeted by a young man with a notebook in hand. 

“Oh!” He exclaimed. It was Hakyeon, of course it was. 

Hakyeon eagerly waved and began to sign rapidly. It was practically indecipherable.

_ Slow down! I’m not that good at reading! _ Signed Jaehwan.

Hakyeon smiled bashfully before slowing his pace.  _ It’s nice to see a familiar face.  _

Jaehwan blushed before putting on his work smile.  _ What would you like today? _

Hakyeon looked as if he were thinking before he continued to sign.  _ Let me try a matcha tea. I heard it’s good for you.  _

Jaehwan nodded. “Sanghyuk!” He called. Sanghyuk sulked out from the back, frowning. “Fix me a matcha tea, please. I’m busy.” 

“Whatever. I get tip.” He rolled his eyes as he grabbed a cup.

_ How has your day been?  _ Jaehwan signed, smiling gently. 

Hakyeon nodded.  _ It’s been good. I’m excited for my tea.  _ He smiled and leaned forward onto the counter. 

“God you’re gorgeous,” Jaehwan murmured, eyes wide. 

Hakyeon cocked an eyebrow.  _ Gorgeous? What is?  _

_ You can read lips?  _ Jaehwan asked, astonished. He was curious, but he also wanted to avoid answering Hakyeon’s question.

_ I’ve been working on it, but I’m not the best. Maybe I can help you sign and you can help me read lips?  _ Hakyeon smiled again before resting his palms on the counter.

Jaehwan nodded eagerly. Before he could respond, Hakyeon raised his hands.

_ I don’t think I got your name, by the way. You look like a Jin something. _

Jaehwan shook his head.  _ Jaehwan. You got the J right.  _

“Matcha tea,” Sanghyuk walked up and placed the drink on the counter before sauntering off. 

_ It’s been nice talking to you, Jaehwan. _ Hakyeon smiled as he spelled out his name.  _ I have to go, or else I’ll be late for therapy. I hurt my wrist the other day when I fell.  _ He pointed at his left wrist before smiling. Hakyeon grabbed his pencil out of the binding of his notebook. He wrote down something before tearing the page out and handing it to Jaehwan.  _ My phone number.  _ Hakyeon took a sip of his drink and grinned, then nodded. He dropped a bit of money into the tip jar. He waggled his fingers that held his cup before turning and walking past Wonshik, who had sat down and was now on his phone, and past Hongbin who seemed occupied with his phone conversation. He spoke quietly, but he looked fierce. 

Jaehwan looked at the numbers written on the page. 

The bell on the door rung. Hakyeon was gone. 

 

That night after his classes, Jaehwan pulled his phone out of his pocket for the first time. He walked to his bed, concentrated on unlocking his phone. He fell back on his bed, eyes still on his phone. Jaehwan reached to the back of his shorts and grabbed at the sheet of paper Hakyeon had given him. He inserted the numbers into his phone and sent a text. 

 

“Hi. It’s Jaehwan.”  _ delivered 6:52 p.m. _

 

He hugged his phone close to him, anxious to see when Hakyeon would respond. That is if he ever did. Was he creepy for sending a text to someone he doesn’t really know? Was this even Hakyeon’s number, or was he being pranked? He tentatively saved the number as “Hakyeon” before setting it on his nightstand and pulling off his shirt. He breathed out a puff of air before searching his room for his pajama top, a plain white t-shirt. 

His phone buzzed off to the side. Jaehwan dove to answer it.

Wait a minute. If he answered too quickly, he might seem like a weirdo. 

Jaehwan tugged on his shirt and sat back down. He stared at his phone before caving in and grabbing it off the desk. 

 

**New message: Hakyeon**

“hi!”  _ delivered 6:53 p.m. _

 

Jaehwan breathed out. It really was Hakyeon. 

 

**New message: Hakyeon**

“whats up???”  _ delivered 6:53 p.m. _

 

“Getting ready for a night in. Just got out of my classes for the night.”  _ delivered 6:54 p.m _

“You?”  _ delivered 6:55 p.m. _

 

**New message: Hakyeon**

“cool!”  _ delivered 6:55 p.m. _

“im just chillin in my apartment.”  _ delivered 6:56 p.m. _

Maybe Hakyeon texts like a twelve year old, and Jaehwan would typically be annoyed by this. When Hakyeon did it, maybe it was cute. 

 

**New message: Hakyeon**

“so what do you do for fun??”  _ delivered 6:57 p.m. _

 

“I read a lot, but not much outside of class. A lot of psychology stuff. I listen to music too. What about you?”  _ delivered 6:59 p.m _

 

After a few minutes of no response, Jaehwan set down his phone and lumbered into the bathroom. He picked up his baby blue toothbrush and slathered on the white toothpaste. It was supposed to make his teeth whiter, but he didn’t really see a difference in the first month of use. After running it under cold water, he stuck it in his mouth and dragged it across his teeth lazily. From the other room, his phone chimed. Excited, Jaehwan spit out the toothpaste and rinsed haphazardly, water spilling onto the counter. He shuffled back into the bedroom area and grabbed at his phone. He groaned upon seeing who had texted him.

 

**New message: Won-thicc**

“hi”  _ delivered 7:06 p.m. _

 

“Hi Wonshik.”  _ delivered 7:07 p.m. _

 

**New message: Won-thicc**

“u got any noodles”  _ delivered 7:07 p.m. _

“No, Wonshik.”  _ delivered 7:08 p.m. _

 

**New message: Hakyeon**

“surprisingly i dance! i just like to feel the music and move how i wanna”  _ delivered 7:10 p.m. _

“thats not weird right?”  _ delivered 7:10 p.m. _

 

“Not at all! I think it’s really cool that you’re a dancer.”  _ delivered 7:12 p.m. _

“Is that how you hurt your wrist then?”  _ delivered 7:12 p.m. _

 

**New message: Hakyeon**

“yup. im an idiot lol”  _ delivered 7:13 p.m. _

“i tried to do like a handspring and f e l l”  _ delivered 7:14 p.m. _

 

“Aww that sucks :(“  _ delivered 7:15 p.m. _

 

**New message: Hakyeon**

“all good”  _ delivered 7:16 p.m. _

“hey my roommate just came home so im gonna go munch some food with her”  _ delivered 7:17 p.m. _

“bye bye!”  _ delivered 7:17 p.m. _

 

“Talk to you later!”  _ delivered 7:18 p.m.  _

 

Jaehwan threw his phone face down on his mattress and sighed. He wanted to keep talking to Hakyeon and learn more about him. All he knows is that he’s a deaf dancer that likes the matcha tea where he works. And that he’s gorgeous, so gorgeous. Jaehwan doesn’t even know what school he goes to. There’s several in the area, but it’s rare for him to see someone at the coffee shop that doesn’t go to his own school. It’s a smaller school, so he knows a lot of the students by name, at least the ones in his class. He had never seen Hakyeon on campus, and he’s certain that he would know if there was a deaf student at his school; rumors spread fast. 

He laid down on his back and stared at the ceiling in the dark. 

 

“I think I like Hakyeon”  _ delivered 8:35 p.m. _

 

**New message: Won-thicc**

“who d at”  _ delivered 8:37 p.m. _

 

“The deaf guy from work. The one I was signing to.”  _ delivered 8:38 p.m. _

 

**New message: Won-thicc**

“oh lol i thought those were gang signs or smthn”  _ delivered 8:39 p.m. _

 

Wonshik. Always a charmer. Jaehwan groaned quietly into his pillow, now face down. At least he had an excuse to torture himself by seeing him. He had agreed to help him with reading lips. Maybe he was looking forward to it, but at the same time, he was dreading it. Jaehwan’s lips were about to get a lot of attention. 

 

**New message: Hakyeon**

“hey! just got done with dinner whats up”  _ delivered 9:36 p.m. _

 

“Getting ready to fall asleep haha.”  _ delivered 9:37 p.m. _

“Do you go to a college around here?”  _ delivered 9:37 p.m. _

 

**New message: Hakyeon**

“yah i go to rothels. you?”  _ delivered 9:40 p.m. _

 

“I go to good old Berg.”  _ delivered 9:41 p.m. _

“I’m a psych major by the way.”  _ delivered 9:42 p.m. _

 

**New message: Hakyeon**

“ooh fancyy. im a dance major”  _ delivered 9:43 p.m. _

“im actually pretty good at what i do. you should come see me sometime and after that we can grab something to eat?”  _ delivered 9:45 p.m. _

 

Did Hakyeon just ask him out? 

  
“Sounds great! Name the when and where and I’ll be there.” _delivered 9:47 p.m._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wrote the cutest part of this like 2 chapters ahead of now. Look forward to it, September 24th-ish ;)


	3. Hey Pretty Boy

A resounding thud came from the front of his apartment. Groggy, Jaehwan blinked a few times before pushing off his blanket. He sat up, somewhat dazed. 

“Hyung!” 

For now, he ignored the voice on the other side of the door and dislodged his phone from the mattress. He had fallen asleep on his phone and it had gotten stuck in one of the ruts of his mattress. He had several new messages, one from his mother, two from Hakyeon, and one from Wonshik at seven in the morning.

Seven in the morning? He was going to be late for his seven thirty class. 

“Hyung! Are you awake?” The voice called again. 

Jaehwan sprung up and tugged off his clothes, tossing them on the floor. If he ran after getting dressed, maybe he could make it halfway across campus. He pulled on a simple grey turtleneck and a pair of black skinny jeans and slipped on his shoes at the front door. He grabbed his bag and pulled open his door, only to find Wonshik blocking his path. 

“Move, Wonshik. I’m gonna be late,” Jaehwan pushed past him.

“And I’m gonna be late for waking your sorry ass up!” He shouted at him. 

“Thank you!” Called Jaehwan as he jogged in the direction of his class. 

About a minute into his sprint, he saw Hongbin, the grumpy customer from the previous day. Today, he was smiling. Jaehwan couldn’t guess as to why. Maybe he was just having a good day.

Jaehwan’s bag bounced wildly on his shoulder as he ran. It was starting to hurt, and his feet began to ache from slapping the concrete beneath him in his flimsy shoes. However, he ignored those pains and continued to run. Hopefully, Wonshik had gotten to his class by now. 

If he kept running like this, maybe he could make it to his class by twenty five after and avoid another disapproving glare from his professor. Jaehwan wished he could be listening to music right about then. However, he didn’t feel like stopping to fumble with his headphones that were probably tangled a thousand times in the pocket of his jeans; that would only hold him back. 

At seven twenty six, Jaehwan stumbled into the class, clearly out of breath. If he had woken up at seven instead of seven eighteen, he wouldn’t have had to run like he did. Plopping down in his seat, he pulled out his phone to look at his texts. The text from his brother was nonsense. Wonshik’s text told him to wake up. Then came Hakyeon’s texts. He opened them, not knowing what to expect. 

 

**New message: Hakyeon**

“i dont know when my next dance will be, but it will probs be at oh hall sometime in the winter”  _ delivered 9:59 p.m. _

“i think youre asleep so ill say goodnight. night! see you tomorrow?”  _ delivered 10:37 p.m. _

 

Jaehwan couldn’t believe he fell asleep on Hakyeon like that. What a great impression he probably left on him. 

 

“Yeah sorry I fell asleep last night. I work from 10 to 3 today.”  _ delivered 7:28 a.m. _

 

With that, Jaehwan tucked his phone back into his pocket and grabbed out his pencil and binder for his advanced Psychology 113 class.

“Good morning, class.”

 

When his class let out at nine thirty, he made a beeline for the coffee shop. He was so close to seeing Hakyeon again. 

He rushed through the door of his workplace to find it was packed. If Hakyeon showed up today, there was no way he’d be able to talk to him. The previous worker, a woman slightly older than him named Jiyoon, was finishing the last fifteen minutes of her shift. Jaehwan looked at the line of three people. He wanted a coffee before his shift, but there was almost no way he could order and down it all before then. Even if he could, he would have stomach cramps for the rest of the day. He sighed to himself before walking behind the counter. Jiyoon tossed a greeting over her shoulder before returning to taking an elderly man’s order. 

Sanghyuk was already there; his shift ended at two. He was balancing a can of whipped cream in one hand while the other pressed at a machine frantically. What looked like a frappe sat in front of him. Jaehwan slipped his designated apron over his head.

The noise caught Sanghyuk’s attention, who turned his head for a moment. “Hey pretty boy, mind making yourself useful?” 

Jaehwan tutted. “Is that any way to talk to your hyung? Plus, my shift doesn’t start for another,” he checked his phone, “eleven minutes.” 

Sanghyuk groaned. “Then get out of here. You’re just crowding my workspace.” Jaehwan raised his hands in defense. He decided to move on and pester Jiyoon.

There was now only one person in line.

“Hey, Jiyoon.” 

“How may I help you today, sir?” Came her response to the young man in front of her. It was Hongbin from the other day. Jiyoon kicked at him behind the counter as Hongbin began to speak.

“Let’s see… Do you still have those strawberry danishes?” He tapped his foot gently. 

“Jaehwan make yourself useful and go check the pastry counter. I don’t have my glasses on.” Jiyoon motioned for him to go away.

Jaehwan grumbled to himself as he stomped over to the case of pastries. There were three apple fritters, four chocolate chip cookies, and a blueberry danish. No strawberry danishes. 

“Nope,” Jaehwan said as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. He was now at Jiyoon’s side. 

Hongbin rolled his eyes. “Cheese danish?” 

“No, again.”

“Alright, how about an apple fritter?” Hongbin tried again. He seemed more patient today, but it seemed to be thinning.

“Bingo!”

Jiyoon pushed Jaehwan away. “Will that be all for you today, sir?” 

Hongbin nodded and handed over his money after Jiyoon told him the total. 

Once he left, Jiyoon turned to a wounded looking Jaehwan. “What is it with you today? You’re exceptionally clingy. I heard you bothering Sanghyuk, too.”

“Wanna buy me a coffee?”

“What? No, Jaehwan.” Jiyoon rolled her eyes. “Isn’t your shift starting soon?” 

Jaehwan checked his phone once more. “I have two minutes.”

“And are we allowed to drink or eat on the job?”

Jaehwan sighed. “No…” He looked defeated. 

“Then there’s your answer.” She smiled brightly. Her eyes crinkled into crescents, almost like Hakyeon’s eyes did when he grinned at Jaehwan or when he signed his name. 

“Alright then get out of here. Your shift is over.” 

“If you want me gone that bad, then I guess I’ll leave.” She sighed dramatically.

Jaehwan assumed position as head cashier and looked out at the customers in the shop. There was the regular, Mr. Dae, who always ordered a plain black coffee with the occasional pastry. Jiyoon had been serving him as Jaehwan entered. Hongbin sat in his same seat as last time. There were also many college students he recognized from various classes. One group of girls giggled as they drank their overpriced coffees. 

A few minutes later, Jiyoon stepped through the doors of the cafe. 

“Go home Jiyoon,” Jaehwan groaned.

“Now, is that any way to speak to a customer?” Jiyoon grinned. 

“What would you like to order?” Jaehwan inwardly groaned.

“Do you have any strawberry danishes?” Jaehwan glared at her until she changed her request. “Fine. You’re no fun. I’ll take a coconut latte.” 

“Coming right up,” Jaehwan spoke through gritted teeth. He turned to Sanghyuk, who grabbed the paper from Jaehwan’s hands without a word. “You can sit down Jiyoon,” he said after she paid. 

“I just feel like hanging out with my coworker. Is that such a crime?” She asked innocently. 

Jiyoon didn’t leave until she had her drink in her hand and a smug look on her face. Maybe she was only doing this to return Jaehwan’s annoyingness.  _ Whatever _ . 

 

At two thirty, Sanghyuk was gone. Jaehwan was beginning to think Hakyeon wasn’t going to come. It had slowed down from the earlier rush, and now the cafe was mostly empty. Jaehwan sighed. His coworker hadn’t shown up yet, even though their shift was to start at two, meaning Jaehwan was alone. 

Alone. 

Even his helicopter manager wasn’t there. 

The bell on the door rang, but Jaehwan didn’t look up from the counter. 

A pair of Oxfords appeared in front of him. A tan hand knocked on the counter. Jaehwan looked up to find a certain face staring back at him. 

Hakyeon waved, a smile plastered to his face. 

_ Oh, hi! How are you today? _

Hakyeon shrugged.  _ I’m alright. My hand hurts today, but I’m excited for my matcha tea.  _

_ I’ll have it right out.  _ Jaehwan signed with a smile. Jaehwan turned to start on Hakyeon’s drink when a hand on his shoulder stopped him. 

_ Do you have to make it? I’d rather talk to you if I’m honest. It’s not every day I get to sign with someone.  _

Jaehwan nodded, feeling a blush creep up his cheeks.  _ Sure. My coworker should hopefully get here soon.  _

_ I’m so excited I met you.  _ Hakyeon smiled. Jaehwan noticed that he now had a wrap around his wrist. 

_ Thank you. I don’t get many people that are excited to see me. That will be 4,500 won, by the way.  _

_ Oh, of course. It just keeps getting more expensive, doesn’t it?  _ Hakyeon pulled out his wallet, a simple leather folded one, and dug around for his money. He produced the money and handed it proudly to Jaehwan. He made the change and handed it back to Hakyeon, who hastily shoved it back into his wallet.  _ I have therapy at four so I guess you’re stuck with me until then.  _ Hakyeon grinned. 

_ How is your wrist doing?  _ Jaehwan felt weird signing; it had been several years since he had taken the sign language classes in high school. He felt like his hand movements were clumsy and that Hakyeon had a hard time understanding him. 

_ It hurts. But it’s getting better.  _

_Can I ask something?_ _  
_ Hakyeon nodded.

_ How is my signing?  _

He seemed taken aback.  _ It’s good. A bit slow but I’m assuming you’re not used to talking with someone like me.  _

_ Fair enough.  _ Jaehwan paused.  _ Can I ask how old you are? _

_ I’m twenty three. You look a bit younger than me. I’m going to guess twenty two.  _

_ Twenty one.  _

Hakyeon nodded a few times. 

Before Jaehwan could sign anything else, the bell on the door chimed.  _ Someone is here.  _ Hakyeon nodded and stepped away, revealing Kim Wonshik himself. 

“No, we don’t have any noodles, Wonshik!” He called around Hakyeon.  _ My friend, Wonshik. We have classes together, _ he signed to Hakyeon. 

“Very funny, Jae. I just want some coffee.” Wonshik strutted towards the counter and glanced at Hakyeon. “Is this your gang member?” 

“Very funny, Wonshik,” he mimicked. “This is Hakyeon. He’s my friend.” 

“‘Sup.”

“He can’t hear you,” Jaehwan hissed. “He’s deaf, moron.” 

Hakyeon laughed loudly. It was a loud, hooting laugh that caught Wonshik’s attention. He chuckled nervously as Jaehwan beamed. Hakyeon’s laugh was loud and bold, almost like his fashion sense, but Jaehwan found it endearing. 

_ All I saw was you say “moron”, _ Hakyeon signed, then pretended to wipe a tear away. 

“What’s funny?” Wonshik asked, looking between the two.

“He thinks me calling you a moron is funny.” Jaehwan looked over at Hakyeon, who was still smiling. 

Wonshik snorted. “Regular latte.” 

“You got it. 4,000 won.” 

Wonshik handed over his money, then pulled out his phone. Jaehwan turned his back to make both pending drinks. 

Wonshik typed “treat him good” on his phone, then turned it to face Hakyeon. Confused, he tilted his head. Wonshik turned off his phone with a quiet “whatever”. He stuffed it back in his pocket before leaning on the counter and staring at Jaehwan’s back. 

Minutes later, Jaehwan turned with two cups in his hand. He set Wonshik’s on the counter but handed Hakyeon’s to him. 

“You’re whipped, bro.” Wonshik shook his head before disappearing out the cafe door. 

Hakyeon took a sip of his drink and his face split into a grin. His lips curled up, revealing his almost perfect teeth. 

“Wow…” Jaehwan mused. He was amazed by how something so simple could be so beautiful. Hakyeon had such a beautiful smile that it flabbergasted Jaehwan. 

Hakyeon pointed to one of the many empty booths, asking Jaehwan to sit with him. 

_ Of course!  _ Jaehwan signed, then stepped out from behind the counter. If a customer came in, he could easily tend to them before sitting back with Hakyeon. 

The pair sat across from each other. Hakyeon scooted forward in his seat until their knees were nearly touching.  _ So.  _

_ So? _

Hakyeon swayed slightly, moving his head side to side.  _ I don’t know.  _ He grinned.  _ How long have you worked here?  _

_ Three months about.  _ Jaehwan paused, unsure of what to say for a moment. _ I’m looking forward to seeing you dance.  _

In the middle of a sip, Hakyeon’s eyebrows shot up as his eyes lit up. He swallowed, then signed quickly. After a moment, he stopped himself. He started over, slower this time.  _ December first, three in the afternoon at Oh Hall. That’s when my next performance is. You can come if you’re free that day.  _

_ I’ll definitely clear my schedule that day.  _

Hakyeon blushed; it spread high across his cheekbones.  _ Thank you. I don’t have many friends at school since, you know, I’m deaf. It’s hard to communicate with other people. I’m really glad I found you, Jaehwan.  _

Jaehwan grew bashful at the use of his name. He didn’t know how to sign “you’re welcome”.  _ Where is your notebook? I don’t know how to sign something.  _

Hakyeon stood, leaning towards Jaehwan in the process. Jaehwan sat frozen as Hakyeon’s bangs brushed his forehead briefly. Hakyeon grabbed his notebook out of the back of his ripped skinny jeans, then sat back down. He handed it proudly to Jaehwan. 

He flipped through the pages, looking for an empty one. He found various doodles of flowers, snails, the sun, and other cute characters. Jaehwan felt like he was invading his personal life by doing this. He flipped faster. 

He landed on a blank page, then pulled his pencil out of the binding. “You’re welcome,” he wrote. He showed it to Hakyeon, who signed  _ You’re welcome.  _ He repeated that a few times before Jaehwan was able to do it well enough. Hakyeon smiled, accomplished. Jaehwan smiled, too. He felt good knowing that he was able to learn from Hakyeon. 

 

An hour later, Jaehwan had hung up his apron and Hakyeon was preparing to leave for therapy. 

_ It was really great talking to you _ , Hakyeon signed with an easy smile. 

The machines behind the counter buzzed quietly and the chatter of people around them was barely audible. There were several patrons, but Jaehwan wasn’t worried about that. The next workers had arrived and it was their problem. 

_ Thank you,  _ Jaehwan signed.

_ You’re welcome. _ Hakyeon’s face split into an infectious grin. The pair laughed, which drew the attention of others. Hakyeon’s face grew red as he realized people were staring.  _ Tell them I’m sorry.  _ Hakyeon signed quickly before bowing his head, embarrassed by his outburst of laughter. 

Jaehwan blinked, confusion evident in his eyes. He tapped Hakyeon’s shoulder, who looked up, seemingly ashamed of himself.  _ Why? There’s nothing to be sorry for.  _

_ People are staring, Jaehwan. I’m so embarrassed.  _ After he finished his sentence, he hid his face in his hands. 

Jaehwan didn’t know what to do; his friend was clearly upset, and he sat dumbly, unsure of himself. He tapped at Hakyeon again, who was more reluctant to look up. He glanced around to find the patrons had returned to their coffees.  _ Don’t be embarrassed. I happen to like your laugh.  _ Hakyeon looked at him questioningly.  _ It just suits you. Like it is kind of bold like your style and interesting like the rest of you.  _

_ You mean it?  _ Hakyeon’s eyes widened. Jaewan nodded. Without warning, Hakyeon leaned earnestly over the table top and engulfed Jaehwan in a loose hug. The stunned man felt rigid in Hakyeon’s arms. When Hakyeon pulled back, he was smiling slightly. 

_ I think I have to go now, _ he signed after checking his phone for the time. 

Jaehwan nodded, trying not to frown. 

_ I’ll be here tomorrow, if that makes you feel any better,  _ Hakyeon offered with a smile.

Jaehwan frowned.  _ I don’t work tomorrow, and I have classes, too.  _

_ Maybe we could just hang out somewhere after your classes?  _ Hakyeon stood, notebook in his hand. 

Jaehwan nodded again.  _ I’ll let you know when and where.  _ He smiled at Hakyeon. 

Hakyeon waved his injured hand carefully before he turned and walked towards the door. 

“See you tomorrow,” Jaehwan whispered to his back. 


	4. Guess I Have a Pulse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I probably won't have the next chapter up for more than a week because I literally have one sentence written and I'm still behind on Join The Club so oops! School sux

The days passed until it was December first, a Saturday with no classes. Jaehwan spent the day fretting over what to wear until it was nearly time to leave. Last minute, he threw on a black turtleneck and slipped a pair of light grey slacks up his thighs. As a college student, he couldn’t afford nice shoes, so he tugged his Converse on. In the mirror, he fluffed up his hair and smoothed down his eyebrows. 

In the taxi, the woman smiled at him through the rearview mirror. Jaehwan looked out the window nervously. Did Hakyeon still want him there? Buildings passed on each side. 

The ride was short, maybe five minutes. Jaehwan passed the woman in the driver’s seat enough money to cover the cost of the ride and tip. 

He entered the venue cautiously, glancing at his surroundings. People all around him were filing into the rows of seats in front of a grand stage. Oh Hall really was something. He paid for his ticket; he was in row B, seat eleven. He was almost directly in front of the stage. He took his seat and looked through the pamphlet that had been shoved into his hands before he had entered the building. 

Hakyeon was listed as the opener with a performance entitled “Last Fantasia”. He also closed the performance with a dance called “Destiny”. There were several performers in between Hakyeon’s two dances, but Jaehwan wasn’t really concerned with them. He came here to see Hakyeon, and that’s what he’ll do. 

Minutes later, the lights dimmed and a perky young woman stepped out on stage. A spotlight followed her movements. She introduced herself as the head director of the dance program at Hakyeon’s school and spoke briefly about how proud she was of her dancers for working so hard to achieve their first performance of the school year. She also mentioned when the next performance was being planned for. 

“With that said, let’s give our first performer a big round of spirit fingers! Let’s give it up for Cha Hakyeon!” She waved her arms in the air before disappearing off stage. The crowd around him waggled their fingers in the air as a deep green curtain was raised, revealing several women surrounding the main dancer in black dresses. The lighting was changed to red. Hakyeon stood in the center in a white outfit stained with a red substance. He stood in a pair of white dress shoes, while the women stood barefoot in contrast. The music began to play; it was dark and mysterious, going nicely with the fog spilling onto the stage. The light tinted it an angry red. 

The music shrieked and a quiet gasp erupted from the crowd.

Hakyeon’s hands twitched, and the dancers swayed dramatically. The music sounded garbled and the backups acted as if they had been bewitched by the music. Each of their movements was so precise, yet so unique to the woman next to her. Hakyeon’s upper body moved slightly.

The music changed and in that moment, the heads on stage shot up, eyes boring into the audience. Jaehwan felt a shiver move up his spine. 

The music sounded almost tribal with a low beat and a primitive woodwind instrument.

Hakyeon moved in sync with his other dancers. Jaehwan was stunned as the music took off soaring and Hakyeon jumped about violently. He performed so beautifully. 

His movements were big and grand and sweeping and all that Jaehwan loved, but none of what he expected from the bubbly boy in the coffee shop. He moved with such conviction and such preciseness that it floored him. He was utterly amazed and entranced by the way he moved. 

As the music returned to the creepy beginning, Hakyeon lowered his head once more and began to twitch his hand as the backup dancers circled him. With a jump, Hakyeon pointed at the crowd, while the woman pointed towards him. They swept their arms back and continued the dance. 

Hakyeon was now leading the dance in the front center of the stage. Only then could Jaehwan notice the light reflecting off of the red tint painted on his lips. He shuddered. Hakyeon jerked his head with each pang of the drum in the music, despite not being able to hear it. It was perfectly in sync with something that, to Hakyeon, didn’t exist. Not that Jaehwan had noticed, the dancers had dropped to their knees. With one jump from Hakyeon, the dancers flung their arms up.

At the end of the dance, Hakyeon covered his eyes with his hands and grinned such an evil grin. He dropped his hands and, completely stone faced, stared straight at the audience. His eyes shifted straight to Jaehwan, who felt his heart rate quicken. The music had long since stopped. 

Hakyeon offered a slight smile to Jaehwan, who smiled back. Scratch that, he grinned. The dancers all joined hands and bowed in that fancy way that performers do. The backup dancers walked elegantly off stage, and Hakyeon near sprinted after a quick wave to the audience. 

Performers came and went, all good, but none anywhere near Hakyeon’s level. Call Jaehwan biased, but Hakyeon was a beautiful performer. 

 

Hakyeon’s final performance of the night wasn’t as horrifying as the first, but it was still equally impressive. The music began with a similar sounding tribal-like woodwind instrument. The lights were dimmed, so Hakyeon was merely an outline. The stage brightened after a while, revealing an oriental style outfit that clung to Hakyeon’s body. His face was covered by a mesh scarf that he untied. White petals began to fall, mirroring the outside snow. 

The dance continued with quiet vocals and twirling of the scarves. It was a gentler part of the song, making Hakyeon look eloquent and beautiful. 

He carried his scarf in his mouth like a mother wolf with her cub. Jaehwan thought it looked ridiculous, but he loved it all the same. Without warning, he threw his scarf towards the back of the stage. 

The dancers finished in a blossoming pose in the center. Jaehwan wanted to jump up with a standing ovation, but he knew Hakyeon would never hear him. Instead, he waved his hands in his direction. Hakyeon breathed in heavily, chest moving visibly. 

The dancers broke from their pose and the rest of the dancers rushed the stage, forming lines from which they bowed one after the other to roaring applause. Hakyeon stood in the center of the performers, grinning with white teeth exposed. He bowed with his peers, the bright grin never leaving his face. 

After the show, Jaehwan remained in the building, waiting for the crowds to subside. A finger tapped his shoulder, and when he turned to the left, no one was there. He turned to his right to find Hakyeon grinning in his face. He threw his arms around the younger man and squeezed him tightly, hooting in laughter. He sounded nearly crazy, but Jaehwan found it endearing. 

_ I'm so happy you came! _ Hakyeon signed with great enthusiasm. 

_ I'm happy I came too. It was a pleasure to see you dance.  _ Scarlet spread high on his cheekbones. 

Hakyeon hugged him again, crushing Jaehwan’s torso. He let out a quiet curse before he hugged back. 

The lights came up as Hakyeon pulled back. Jaehwan saw he had streaks of red pigment lining his eyelids and his lips were a glossy pink. It accentuated their natural plumpness. 

_ We've been hanging out for a while now, haven't we?  _ Hakyeon cocked his head.

Jaehwan nodded. 

_ Can I ask you something?  _ He signed slower than usual. 

_ Of course.  _ Jaehwan gulped, unsure of where Hakyeon was going. 

_ I've never met someone who made this much of an effort to communicate with me and…  _ He trailed off and looked at his shoes.  _ I don’t even know if…  _ Hakyeon let out a huff.  _ Would you be interested in being… my boyfriend?  _ Hakyeon cringed back and screwed his eyes shut. 

Jaehwan was taken aback. No one had ever asked him out before, let alone the most gorgeous boy ever. Jaehwan had grown quite fond of his hyung; maybe he did like him. He had nothing to lose, unless you count a beautiful friendship with a beautiful dancer who just so happens to be a beautiful man. Maybe Jaehwan had feelings for the dancer, and maybe they began to develop on the first day of them meeting. 

He stared at Hakyeon, bearing his heart for Jaehwan to judge. 

He never would have guessed Hakyeon was gay. 

Jaehwan grabbed Hakyeon’s shoulders, making him open his eyes and look directly at Jaehwan. A light sheen of sweat coated Hakyeon’s face, making him glisten in the low light. Jaehwan nodded with a squeeze of Hakyeon’s shoulders. 

Hakyeon erupted into a fit of giddy giggles as he signed  _ Really?  _

Jaehwan nodded again with a grin. 

Hakyeon hooted out more laughter. He grabbed Jaehwan’s face between his palms and brought their foreheads together. He grinned widely. Jaehwan could feel Hakyeon’s breath fanning out across his chin as he exhaled. Jaehwan blushed deeply; he was never this close to anyone. 

Hakyeon moved his palm to Jaehwan’s chest Jaehwan's chest and held it there for a moment. A grin lit up his face. He pulled his hand back and began to sign.  _ I can feel your heart.  _

Jaehwan's blush deepened.  _ Guess I have a pulse, _ he joked.

Hakyeon slapped at Jaehwan for goofing around. He grinned. 

 

Outside, Jaehwan walked beside Hakyeon. Their shoes sunk into the light snow that dusted the ground. 

_ I’m cold, _ Hakyeon signed with a pout. He wrapped his arm around Jaehwan and pulled him close to himself. Jaehwan blushed. 

Hakyeon had changed into his regular clothes and had wiped the makeup from his face before the pair had left the building. He now donned a pair of black skinny jeans with bleach spots that accentuated every muscle of his toned legs, a dark blue sweater that was maybe two sizes too big, and a simple black beanie that left only his bangs showing. The sweat on his body had died down and was replaced with a light red that spread across his cold face. 

Jaehwan tucked one arm behind Hakyeon’s waist and hastily shoved the other in his pocket. Hakyeon chuckled, which sounded like a sharp whine from the back of his throat. 

Jaehwan glanced over at Hakyeon. His lips were now chapped and melted snowflakes disappeared from the heat of his cheeks. Jaehwan sucked his upper lip in and chewed on it briefly. 

_ Thank you for walking me to my car. I’ll text you when I get to my dorm.  _ Hakyeon kicked at the snow with his Oxfords. White tube socks peeked out from under his pant legs. 

_ It was my pleasure.  _ Jaehwan smiled as Hakyeon pulled his keys out of his pocket. 

Before Jaehwan could realize what he was doing, he leaned forward and pecked Hakyeon on the cheek. Hakyeon blushed and lifted his hand up to feel where Jaehwan’s lips were. 

_ Goodnight, Jaehwan.  _ Hakyeon signed slowly. 

Jaehwan offered a small wave before turning on his heel and quickly walking towards his own car. In the safety of his vehicle, he spoke to himself. “Oh god, I can’t believe I did that.” He scolded himself quietly before turning the key in the ignition. His car rumbled to life and he backed out of the parking spot, arm tucked behind the passenger seat and head turned to look behind him. 

 

**New message: Hakyeon**

“hey!!! just got in but i think imma take a nap. im exhausted. ttyl!”  _ delivered 5:49 p.m. _

 

“I have work today so I’ll talk to you later too. Sleep well!”  _ delivered 5:51 p.m. _

 

Jaehwan’s shift lasted from six to nine, a short day for him. Sanghyuk didn’t work that day, so it was just him and Jiyoon for three hours; a recipe for greatness. 

“Hiya, Jiyoon,” Jaehwan said cheerily. 

“Hi, Jaehwan,” she deadpanned. 

“I want a coffee,” he singsonged. 

“Buy one.” Her voice sounded flat and uninterested, as she usually was with Jaehwan's antics. 

“You should buy me one,” he shot back. 

“You should shut up before I pop you in the mouth.” 

Jaehwan raised his hands in defeat and backed off. He leaned against the counter, facing the machines

_ This is going to be a long three hours. _


	5. Surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I meant to update yesterday but I got busy I guess and forgot! Anyways here is the ending to Matcha after many long weeks! I hope you all enjoy even though it's even more trashy than usual. Thank you for sharing this ride with me as I wrote and I hope you enjoyed the piece!

Weeks later, Jaehwan and Hakyeon were laying down together in Hakyeon’s apartment. The bed dipped beneath them as snow fell outside, silently tapping at the windows around them. Hakyeon’s head rested on Jaehwan’s chest, rising and falling with each breath taken in by the younger man. Jaehwan would occasionally brush through Hakyeon’s hair with his long fingers. It was a quiet day; both of their classes had finished for the day, and it was only three in the afternoon. The pair had spent the day so far by making popcorn and laying on Hakyeon’s bed together. 

Jaehwan tossed a piece of golden popcorn into his mouth and sighed contentedly. He loved being with Hakyeon, especially when they did nothing like they were that day. 

Suddenly, Hakyeon sat up. Jaehwan looked at him, confused as to why he would interrupt such an intimate moment so abruptly. He lifted his hands and began to sign. He was able to sign faster than when they first met because Jaehwan’s skills had improved. Hakyeon was also better at reading lips, meaning Jaehwan could no longer call him beautiful aloud without Hakyeon knowing. 

_ I have a surprise for you.  _

Jaehwan stared at him for a moment, curious. He nodded, which encouraged Hakyeon to clear his throat. 

“I love you,” Hakyeon croaked, voice cracking around each syllable. He spoke slowly, as if he were unsure of himself. 

“Oh my god,” Jaehwan spoke. He gasped and covered his mouth with his hand. “You just-” He stopped himself, remembering that his boyfriend was deaf, and signed instead.  _ Did you just do what I thought you did? _

Hakyeon nodded, face splitting into a contagious grin. Jaehwan followed suit, now sitting. He felt tears prick at his eyes, feeling emotional. 

“How does my voice sound? I can’t hear it.” He smiled eagerly, waiting for Jaehwan’s critique. 

Wonderful, he thought. But how did it sound really? Deep, with a slight twang, indicating some form of accent Jaehwan didn’t recognize.  _ I like it. A lot. I’ve never heard anything like it. It’s beautiful, just like the rest of you.  _

Hakyeon blushed and let out a breathy chuckle. He almost sounded nervous. “Thank you. I promise my voice will sound better once I practice more,” he assured his boyfriend. 

_ I will like it no matter what.  _

Hakyeon blushed at the words and smiled. “I’ve been in speech therapy for a while now, and I thought I would surprise you. Now just felt right.”

_ Thank you for trusting me with this.  _

Hakyeon nodded in response. “I love you,” he said once more. 

“I love you too,” Jaehwan spoke and signed simultaneously. 

“Come here and lay with me again.” Hakyeon motioned for Jaewan to lay back down. 

Jaehwan settled back down, hands tucked behind his head. Hakyeon snuggled in on his chest.

 

Several hours later, both had fallen asleep and were dozing peacefully when Hakyeon’s roommate, a shy girl named Sohyun, unlocked the front door to their apartment. She set down her bag by the front door and toed off her shoes. 

She sighed quietly, then groaned loudly. Her roommate was deaf; what did it matter? 

 

Jaehwan was awoken by the loud moan of a mysterious person in the other room. He untucked his arms and rubbed at Hakyeon’s arm. He shook him gently, hoping he would wake up. 

After several moments of shaking, Hakyeon opened his eyes and smiled up at his boyfriend. 

A door opened outside of Hakyeon’s room. Hakyeon noticed Jaehwan’s startled look and sat up. 

“Doors opening?” Jaehwan nodded. “Sohyun, my roommate. She’s probably home now. You should meet her.” 

Jaehwan sat up on his elbows. Hakyeon pulled him up and into a quick kiss. 

Jaehwan stood up from the bed and looked back at Hakyeon for assurance. He nodded and shooed him off. The younger of the two smiled, shook his head, and left the room. 

A door stood open in the hall; Jaehwan assumed that was Sohyun’s room. He waited outside for the young woman to exit. 

Minutes later, she walked out in a pajama set. “Oh!” She exclaimed. “Are you, by chance, Hakyeon’s boyfriend?” 

Jaehwan nodded, filled with pride at the title. “We were hanging out and I heard you come in. Hakyeon told me to meet you, so here I am.” Hanging out wasn’t necessarily the right phrase for what they were doing; sleeping was a better fit word. 

Hakyeon appeared in the hall behind them.  _ Noona, I have to tell you something!  _ He seemed excited about what he was going to say. 

_ Go ahead, _ she signed. It shouldn’t have been surprising that Sohyung, a deaf person’s roommate, could sign, but Jaehwan was still taken aback. 

Hakyeon cleared his throat dramatically. “Hi, Sohyun.” 

Sohyun’s eyes widened in shock. She sputtered nonsense before regaining her composure and signing in response to Hakyeon’s news.  _ Since when can you talk?  _

“Since a while, I guess. But it sucks that I can’t hear you guys.” 

_ You sound stuffy,  _ Sohyun commented. 

“I’m deaf!” Sohyun and Hakyeon fell into a fit of giggles as Jaehwan looked on awkwardly. “So this is my boyfriend. He’s a babe and he’s all mine.” 

Jaehwan let out a chuckle and threw an arm around his boyfriend, who nuzzled into his neck. “I love you.” Hakyeon tried to whisper, but he didn’t really have that kind of control over his voice quite yet. It came out louder than he anticipated, and Sohyun let out a snort. 

“I love you too,” Jaehwan whispered into his hair. 

The two shared their hug with Sohyun watching awkwardly.

“Well, I’m gonna go now. It was nice meeting you, Jaehwan.” With that, Sohyun left the hall and closed the door to her room behind her. 

Hakyeon rocked them slowly, arms around Jaehwan’s waist. 

He spoke again, voice low. “I love you.” 

 

The next day at the coffee shop, Jaehwan was working with Sanghyuk. 

“Have you ever been in love, Sanghyuk?” Jaehwan wondered aloud. 

“No. The girls at my highschool had the personality of a makeup brush and I’m too busy with schoolwork now to even think about girls,” came his answer. “Why do you ask?”

“Because I’m madly in love and I like it.” Jaehwan put the lid on a drink and set it on the counter. “Jihyun!” He called out. A smart looking woman with her chestnut brown hair in a high ponytail stepped up to the counter to claim her drink. “Have a nice day.” The woman nodded and accepted the beverage. She returned to her computer, which sat at one of the various booths in the cafe. 

“Don’t make me punch you. I’m sick of hearing you talk about your boyfriend all the time.” Sanghyuk rolled his eyes. 

The bell chimed at the front of the cafe. In came the harsh cold of the winter. A figure stepped in; Jaehwan recognized him as his very own, Cha Hakyeon. He smiled warmly at his boyfriend. Jaehwan waved excitedly. 

“Hi!” He shouted. 

_ Welcome back, babe.  _ The two leaned over the counter and shared a quick kiss. 

“I’ll take a matcha tea, please.” 

_ Coming right up! _


	6. If You Insist

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For all the zero of you requesting a continuation of Wonshik X Hongbin ;)

Snowy days passed at the cafe where Jaehwan worked. Wonshik would come in, ripped jeans baring too much flesh for the cold weather, hoping to find his little crush. Hongbin would appear every once in a while, but he would never show much interest in him. Despite being turned down numerous times, Wonshik persisted. 

One blizzardous day came when Wonshik slid in the booth across from Hongbin. 

“How are your classes going?” Wonshik questioned.

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Listen,” he started, “you’re clearly interested in me. I’m clearly not. If I let you take me on one date, will you leave me alone?” 

Excitement bubbled in the pit of his stomach, but he kept his cool. “Only if you don’t like me.” He winked. 

Hongbin scoffed. “Pick me up tomorrow at seven. I’m in the West dorms.” 

With that, he gathered his belongings and left the cafe. He could be heard muttering, “I can’t believe I’m doing this…” 

 

“Wonshik, party of two,” the hostess called out into the din of the crowd before her. 

The pair stood, Hongbin reluctantly so, and followed the lady to a table in a quieter corner of the restaurant. Wonshik pulled out a chair and offered it to Hongbin before taking a seat across from his crush. 

“Have you ever been here before?” Wonshik queried, attempting to strike up a conversation. 

“Never,” Hongbin responded while unfolding his menu. Wonshik watched his eyes as they scanned the items.

“They have really nice mandu here. We could get that as a starter if you wanted,” he suggested. 

“If you insist,” Hongbin commented with an off-putting sigh, sounding disinterested as ever. 

The waitress stopped by later and offered her name and the night’s specials. 

“We’ll start off with the mandu, please,” he began in his most polite voice. “Then I’ll have the galbi and noodles. What will you have, Hongbin?”

He scoffed. “The kimchi, please.” 

The waitress thanked them and took their menus. She sashayed off to the kitchen area to hand off the order. 

“How can you afford this place? You’re just a college student. So am I and I’m poor as can be.” He tented his hands on the table. 

“I have my ways.” He winked. “I took some savings from high school and just hold onto spare change.” 

Hongbin seemed impressed. He nodded slowly. 

“How is that composition class?” 

“Torture. But the semester is almost over. How is your mixtape coming along?”

Wonshik blinked in surprise. Was Hongbin… showing interest in him? “It’s great. I’m done with the first two tracks. I don’t know how many more there’ll be; it just depends on how much more I have left to say.” 

“You’re really passionate about making music aren’t you?” He leaned forward as if he were judging him.

_ Don’t say the wrong thing, don’t say the wrong thing…  _ “I am. It’s my life. I mean, that’s why I’m a music major.” 

He sat back in his chair, seemingly pleased with his answer. “I like that. Passion is important to me.” 

Wonshik was stunned to silence. “O-okay…” 

Hongbin smirked, then took a sip of his water. He had silenced the cocky Kim Wonshik. 

 

The waitress reappeared in the middle of a conversation minutes later with plates of food. She set the mandu in the center of the table, then placed the plates to their respective men. 

She dropped a quick “enjoy” before heading to her next table. 

“Looks delicious,” Hongbin commented, picking up his fork. 

_ Something you and the food have in common, _ Wonshik thought. He would never dare say that aloud, but there was nothing stopping him from thinking that. Instead, he nodded in agreement and shoveled a bite of food into his awaiting mouth. 

Hongbin watched him out of the corner of his eye, observing while they ate their meals. He reached over the table and speared a dumpling, then took a bite out of it. He smiled around the food in his mouth. Wonshik smiled back. 

Half an hour later, the waitress brought the check to their table and thanked them for their meal. Both men reached for the check and bumped hands. They froze, surprised, before Wonshik snatched it.

Hongbin pouted. “Let me get it.”

“No, this is my treat. I was the one who asked you out, even though you hate my guts,” Wonshik countered. 

“I don’t hate you,” Hongbin muttered. 

Wonshik pulled out his wallet from his pants pocket and withdrew his card. He placed it on the check. 

“Can I at least leave tip? I have cash,” Hongbin requested. 

“...Fine.” 

Hongbin grinned. 

 

Wonshik drove Hongbin back to his dorm after they paid. Outside the car, Wonshik walked Hongbin up to the entrance. 

“Thank you for giving me a chance,” Wonshik said, sounding dejected. “I’ll see you around, I guess.” He turned to walk away. 

“Wonshik, wait.” 

He turned back around, eyebrow raised inquisitively. 

“Thank you for a great night.” Hongbin grabbed Wonshik’s hands and held them. “Your hands are cold.”  
“Yeah, it’s like, December,” he joked. 

He rolled his eyes. He leaned in and pecked Wonshik on the cheek. “Goodnight, Wonshik.” 


	7. Want more?

Want more of Hakyeon x Jaehwan and Wonshik x Hongbin? Shameless plug but you could check out my new fic called One's Company! The members of VIXX are more background characters, but hey they're there! Again, thanks for sticking with me through these 9k words and supporting my creation!


End file.
